A rare, broad inquest probing the “haunting similarity” surrounding the deaths of seven First Nations students in Thunder Bay is close to being finalized.

In the past 10 years, six teenaged boys were found drowned in the waters leading to Lake Superior and one girl, Robyn Harper, asphyxiated in an alleged alcohol-related incident.

A Star investigation a year ago detailed the deaths of the teens, all of whom were forced to leave their families in remote northern reserves to live alone in boarding houses in Thunder Bay because there was no school for them to go to at home.

In a Thunder Bay coroner’s court Wednesday an application was read requesting the inquest into the death of Reggie Bushie, 15, be expanded to include the six other teens, said Terry Waboose, deputy grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN).

“Our country prides itself on education being a right,” Waboose said in an interview.

NAN is a political body representing 49 northern First Nations.

“Yet we are the only ones who send their kids away to school. Nobody else puts up with this, so why do First Nations?”

Chief Coroner Dr. Andrew McCallum is now considering the matter.

The scope and size of the inquest would be nearly unprecedented in Ontario.

Northern chiefs have been negotiating for months with the province to hold a public inquiry into the deaths, but sources say a broader inquest looking at why each youth died would be a suitable compromise.

“They understand what that type of loss is,” said Big Canoe, who is acting for Bushie’s family.

“There is a haunting similarity between these deaths. Six of the seven were found in water. Six were boys aged 15 to 17.”

The dislocation of children from aboriginal communities has continued in Canadian history over time, she said.

“It is essentially a ticking time bomb in some respects. There is concern of people in the communities to send their children away,” said Big Canoe.

There is a parallel to some goals and ideals of the former Indian residential school system, where children were plucked from their culture and sent away for an education, she added.

“We don’t ask any other group in Canada to dislocate completely from their homes and reality. These families cannot afford to go and see them. This is not the same choice as sending a child away to private or boarding school,” she said.

Since Bushie’s death, two other students have drowned.

Kyle Morrisseau, an aspiring artist from Keewaywin First Nation and the grandson of world-famous Ojibwa artist Norval Morrisseau, was found in the McIntyre River floodway on Nov. 10, 2009.

Last May, the body of Grade 9 student Jordan Wabasse was recovered from the Kaministiquia River after an exhaustive community-led search staffed by aboriginal volunteers.

The Bushie inquest will now adjourn until McCallum makes his ruling, said Julian Falconer, the lawyer representing NAN.

“The only option for these native youth was to leave home for an education. They aren’t being treated like second-class citizens . . . but third-class,” said Falconer. “It is atrocious.”

Aboriginal leaders believe the students’ deaths underscore the vast inequality in First Nations education for children who live on reserve.

On average, native children are funded $2,000 less per year than non-native students.

An inquest is a good idea but the real test is the degree to which First Nations are involved and if the recommendations are acted upon, said Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada.

“The tragic loss of young lives needs to be better understood and all stakeholders must take all measures to prevent future losses,” Blackstock said.

In Canada, native education is a federal responsibility and funding to the schools has simply not kept up.

Some schools don’t have science labs, libraries, computers or qualified teachers. In other cases, there isn’t a school at all.

Less than half of aboriginal youth complete high school and only 8 per cent of First Nations, Métis and Inuit collectively have a university degree.

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.